Clogged arteries account for two of the most common and serious conditions among people worldwide: heart attack and stroke.
Both of these conditions happen when blood supply is restricted or blocked in particular areas of the body. Heart attacks occur when blood cannot pass through the artery leading to the heart muscle. Meanwhile, a lack of blood supply to the brain can trigger a stroke.
The clogging of the arteries happens slowly. It may take several years for fat to build up inside the walls of arteries before they completely block the blood flow. An unhealthy diet of fat and cholesterol-rich foods causes the clogging.
Detect If You have Clogged Arteries
The sooner you detect clogged arteries, the better your chances of reversing its effects. There are simple means of detecting clogged arteries. Below are some of them.
1. Checking the blood pressure – this is probably the most common and most straightforward means of detection. A blood pressure above 119/79 is a good indicator that you have clogged arteries. Your risk for related conditions (e.g. stroke, heart disease) rise when you reach 140/90 and above.
2. Blood test – a blood test reveals your cholesterol level, among other things. Naturally, the higher cholesterol level you have, the higher your chance of having clogged arteries.
3. Angiogram – dye is injected into the arteries which reveals areas that are clogged.
How to Stop the Clogging of Arteries
Imagine a pipe that’s been clogged by dirt. How would plumbers normally solve the clogging problem? In the past, they would have used mechanical devices to do the job. But today, chemicals can do the trick. Either way, the problem is solved by removing the thing that disrupts the flow of water along the pipe.
The same principle applies to when your arteries are clogged. Your doctor has methods to do the job. Worst cases may require surgery, but for milder ones (i.e. those that aren’t yet in a critical stage), a change in diet helps.
We mentioned earlier that a diet of fatty foods and foods that are high in cholesterol raises the chance of your arteries being clogged. So to reverse its effects, your diet should consist of foods that help remove the clogging and prevent fat from getting into your arteries again.
How Vegetables Fight Clogging
Vegetables are the best food group that can address the clogging problem. They can effectively remove fats that clog your arteries because they contain soluble fiber. This type of fiber is that which flushes out bad cholesterol from your body.
Also, since vegetables contain no cholesterol, you don’t add any more cholesterol into your body when you eat them. Thus, it keeps your arteries from being clogged again.
But of course, you should realize that eating healthy is just a part of the equation. There are other things that you must do to prevent clogged arteries and the problems associated with it. You also have to exercise regularly, keep yourself from worrying too much and quit unhealthy vices such as smoking. Your body will thank you for doing these things.